The Sixers’ coach said he can’t afford to send Moultrie, his rookie forward, to the D-League. Moultrie has played in every game – including Wednesday’s against visiting Chicago – since Collins’ initial proclamation.

Thad Young thinks he’s had something to do with Moultrie’s increased playing time.

“Me and coach, after practice one day, he asked me about Arnett and I definitely told him Arnett can help us,” Young said. “Me and Arnett, we have lots of text-message conversations where I tell him certain things I did when I was a rookie to get myself on the court, certain things that didn’t happen for me that he should do that’ll help him.

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“He can definitely be big for us. It’s just a matter of getting those minutes where he can get into a good rhythm for the game. He can be one of our best rebounders. He has a strong body that can go up. He’s athletic. He can step out and shoot jumpers a little bit. He has a complete game; he just hasn’t had a chance to show it.”

Moultrie, the 6-10, 245-pounder out of Mississippi State, has become far too valuable to the Sixers since Dec. 4, when Kwame Brown seemed to fall out of the team’s rotation and Moultrie found his way into it. He entered Tuesday averaging nearly seven minutes per appearance in his recent four-game playing streak, including one game in which he netted 11 minutes.

At season’s outset, Collins seemed hesitant to give Moultrie, a rebounding machine, extended minutes because he was coming off an ankle injury that he sustained in pre-draft camps, one bad enough to sideline him the entire summer.

“I think he’s starting to get a little better feel for the game,” Collins said. “When you take a young guy like that and not let him be on the floor for four months, you get set back. I think he’s understanding you (need) to play at this level, how fast the game is, how strong these players are. … We want to continue to get him out there.”

So … is Moultrie still a candidate for the D-League?

“No, not right now,” Collins said.

Moultrie said he never spoke directly with Collins regarding an assignment to the Sioux Falls SkyForce, the Sixers’ D-League affiliate. He said it wouldn’t have changed his approach to playing, anyway.

“I can’t do anything but build on the minutes I’m getting. I just have to try to be productive with the little minutes I’m getting,” said Moultrie, who’s averaging 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just going with the flow. I’d rather stay up here and build on this, get experience from this.”

Royal Ivey missed the last two games with a right groin strain. Wednesday, he sat out with strep throat. … Damien Wilkins, who hasn’t played since straining his right calf Dec. 8, was a scratch, too. … The Bulls redefined the back-to-back concept, arriving in Philadelphia at 4 a.m. Wednesday after their home loss the previous night to the Clippers. Needless to say, they opted to forgo the morning shootaround.